Legislative update from Rep. Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake –
Members worked hard this week as we debated reforms to the state’s collective bargaining laws. On Thursday afternoon, both the House and Senate passed House File 291 and sent it the Governor, where we expect him to sign the bill into law.
These much needed reforms will restore balance to Iowa’s outdated collective bargaining laws.
House File 291 will allow local officials, like schools, cities, and counties, to have more flexibility and control over their resources. This will give locally elected leaders more tools to effectively manage their agencies.
Local officials are elected by their local voters to address the issues before those communities. Greater flexibility for school boards, city councils, mayors and boards of supervisors, along with state government officials, allows for more effective allocation of resources. Changing the mandated items that must be bargained for allows management the ability to actually manage.
We can all think back to our days in school, and many of us remember a teacher who truly stood out. Perhaps a teacher who went the extra mile and inspired their students. We know that the best way to teach our kids is to have a teacher that stimulates and motivates. These reforms seek to reward those exceptional teachers that have changed many of our lives.
During this process, we heard from many Iowans at forums, through phone calls and emails, as well as during the subcommittee and committee process. We also held a public hearing on the bill on Monday, and heard comments from many others. It’s because of these conversations that we made a number of changes to the original bill.
One major concern we heard was that people were worried about the removal of “proper cause” in employee terminations and suspensions. We believed workers would still be protected under existing laws, but in effort to reassure Iowans and remove any confusion, we put this language back in the bill.
Many people expressed concerns about the scope of negotiations, specifically regarding the prohibited topics. We looked back at this section of the bill and decided to move seniority, grievance procedures, and release time back into permissive topics of discussion.
You can find a full summary of changes here.
We listened to many of the concerns that people had on this bill and worked to resolve those issues. This is a better bill as a result of the input we received.
These reforms are intended to rebalance the collective bargaining system which has not been updated in more than 40 years. These are common sense reforms that preserve our system of collective bargaining and ensure Iowa’s taxpayers have a seat at the table.
As the session continues to move along, please stay in touch. Legislation is moving through the process, so please let me know your thoughts as different bills arise.
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Its the law…of physics.
How many of us make a decision on which job to take merely on salary? I always look at benefits as part of my total compensation. Now public workers have to agree on salary without knowing what the benefits offered will be–I don’t think that is right or fair.
Upmeyer: “A mirage for taxpayers and a win for corporate CEO’s”
today after collective bargaining law updated.
You already tried this and FAILED. You will FAIL next time too because the real people of this state are sick and tired of Liberal Bull Sh##.
Thank you Linda for your good work for helping the REAL Iowa workers that are paying for everybody’s health insurance . Your doing exactly what we elected you to do . Not all women know how to clean house like this …
Linda its to bad you dont know what its like to work for a living . You and your cronies have attacked the working people again. If you are so worried about the taxpayers spending so much money maybe you should give back all the farm subsidies you and your husband have gotten over the years. You have always been the first one in line for all the free handouts . Maybe you should of checked Wisconsin’s problems out after they voted to do this same stupid thing. You use to be a fairly good person but you are now just a typical crooked politician that only has there own pocketbook as there main concern.
Ya’ll ever notice that Linda Upmeyer has those same batshit crazy eyes like Michele Bachmann.
Yup. Looks like her hair and makeup were styled by the local funeral home.
So the 184,000 public workers you screwed over are not taxpayers ! The police, firefighters, Sanitation, street, Water dept., Heavy equipment operators, teachers, University of IA nurses, docs, researchers, DOT, Iowa Highway Patrol, food service, and many more …. Looking forward to voting all you heartless asshats out next time around !l. Next time you get to the Capitol..please go and talk to all the law enforcement personnel that protect your sorry ass everyday and look them in the eye and explain it to them ! And have the Gov and Lt. Gov, to do the same with their Highway Patrol officers that drive them all over each day ! The sad thing is that you did this just because you could..not because you really believe it was the right thing to do !
Yeah how dare they change something that is outdated and lopsided. What’s wrong with them people in Des Moines not paying attention to the wants of a few over the needs of many? Everyone knows that a public sector job is forever and all the paid for perks that come with it. Geeez.
I CANT WAIT TO VOTE EVERY DAM REPUBLICAN OUT OF OFFICE.
You tried that last time and lost. Your time is over. You should give up and move to Russia where you and your kind will be welcome. Until they shoot you.
More TROLL Garbage gone.
^^ Coward
Chickenshit!